The fishing village in Ottangu, a short ride on the boat from the capital of Gabon, has no running water and electricity, but hopes to attract tourists.
Despite the soft white sands and the wildlife of their parks, tourists are small and far between the Puant Denis Peninsula where the village is located.
On the recent Sunday morning, Bar and restaurant Kossi, in which atogngo, was empty.
Elsewhere on the peninsula, wealthy Gabones and expans from Libreville, who come from the city for a few days, will remain in several teddy hotels.
Reactive spoons and four-year-old bicycles, but the village is located along the edges of the national park with monkeys, buffalo and elephants.
“The park does not bring us tourists, and we want to develop tourism in society,” said Gerard Aviv.
He opened the guests in his home, built from a tree overlooking Mangri, to encourage “ordinary Gabon people who don’t have a lot of money but want to avoid the capital, have a good time, return to their roots,” said a 47-year-old guy.
So far, few are coming to make their “royal hike” that covers the area, which is the last place of rest of one of its own predecessors of the 18th century.
King Rapontchumbumus led the MPONGWE people and allowed the French colonists to settle.
From Liberville, reaching this area provides a 30-minute ride on the boat, a short crossing in a wooden fishing boat, after which a short walk in the woods.
– ‘unavailable’ –
Foreign tourists are rare here in other parts of Gabon, although the forests cover almost 90 percent of the small central -African country, which is sold as “last Eden”.
He currently has about 350,000 foreign visitors a year, but wants to double this figure, probably a priority for the winner of the Saturday presidential election, 19 months after the August 2023 coup ended for decades.
“Let it be leaders or population, we do not have a tourist culture because we focused on oil,” said Tourism Minister Pascal Ogau Siphon.
“And we have forgotten our country’s tourist potential, though I honestly say Gabon can live from its tourism,” the minister said.
But there are problems.
“The main obstacle is the price of a plane ticket, which is very expensive and unavailable, and painstaking visa formalities,” said 40-year-old Amelia to Costa Soarez.
Despite its idyllic installation, the bed is open only on weekends, in addition to the seminars.
The Guichely Ngoma Rate Operator of Libreville is trying to offer organized trips and individual excursions to the country’s interior, but stated that the bad road network became a problem.
“There are many beautiful places where you can’t go because there is no access, even in 4×4. This is a problem that bothers us all, especially since Gabon is a really expensive place,” NGAM said.
But the Minister of Tourism Aggi Siffhon claims that tourists with their heart, delivered to the destination, will always find money, time and energy for the trip.
“Those who want to satisfy their curiosity, governed regardless of the conditions,” he said, retelling how the group who came to watch the gorillas in Loang Park decided to swim down the river, and not give up the purpose of her excursion.
– ‘Huge potential –
To the south of Loang, on the famous location between Laguna and the ocean, wealthy fishing lovers arrive on a helicopter from libreville to stop at the Sette Cama Adventure House for exclusive revenue per week worth 10,000 euros (11,100 dollars).
“Demand exceeds the supply,” said Ogau Siphon, which deals with the banking “huge potential”, its lush forests and 950 kilometers (590 miles) coastline for the development of “selective tourism”, and allowing Gabonze to detect its country at affordable costs.
He said Adnde, leadership, wants to develop eco-tourism to revive the villages on the peninsula where many young people left the capital, he said.
But by adding the nephew of the forester Juste Loubangoye Ozavino, the complexity is like “opening other communities and keeping the mystical side” of the peninsula.
